(It’s been a big last few weeks for the Yimby Party. They launched a new group in Denver, and announced their 2nd annual conference, for this July in Oakland)
1. Announcements
I’ve posted a link on the homepage giving more info on the Market Urbanism programming at the upcoming FEE Conference, which is in Atlanta, June 15-17…
The YIMBY party announced it will hold its 2nd annual conference, occurring this year in Oakland, July 13-16…
And recently another YIMBY group popped up: YIMBY Denver!
2. This Week at Market Urbanism
Michael Lewyn wrote Where the permits are & The “Foreign Buyers” Argument
A common argument against new housing supply is that in high-cost cities such as New York, demand from foreign buyers is so overwhelming as to make new supply irrelevant. A recent study (available here) by two business school professors suggests otherwise.
Emily Hamilton Conflicting Affordable Housing Policies
Recently I presented on a panel at Chapman University on the future of housing in Orange County. Our panel highlighted the tensions between housing programs designed to help low-income and homeless households and those designed to help middle-income households.
Sandy Ikeda wrote Addressing Local Knowledge & a book review on The Future Once Happened Here & Of Maps and Modernism
In a sense, it may seem silly to criticize a map for being abstract, since, well, that’s what maps are supposed to do or else they would be useless. But there is such a thing as being too abstract. Maps should not abstract from what is essential to its purpose, which is to facilitate travel.
3. MU Elsewhere
Emily‘s speech at Chapman University can be found at the 19:30 mark of this link
Nolan Gray’s piece last year on Houston’s partial embrace of Market Urbanism was republished on FEE.org. He also published a to-do list for HUD secretary Ben Carson at Forbes.
Carson could direct HUD officials to craft and disseminate model zoning reform legislation to the states. As urban history geeks may know, conventional “Euclidian” zoning began in 1924, when a committee of planning proponents drafted the Standard Zoning Enabling Act.
Sandy’s piece On Maps & Modernism was mentioned in the New York Post
4. Where’s Scott?
Scott Beyer has settled in Portland, and this weekend will visit the neighboring suburbs of Gresham, Vancouver, Beaverton and more. His 2 Forbes articles were about the Houston Rodeo & America’s Great 3-Way Housing Race: Houston, Dallas & NYC
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA issued 273,853 housing permits over this 7-year period; New York-Newark-Jersey City issued 283,814; and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land topped every metro with 316,639 permits. Combined, the 3 metros accounted for 13.5% of the nation’s approved housing units. Other metros weren’t even close to these three.
Scott also recently became the roving correspondent for HousingOnline.com, a building trade site offering financial/regulatory analysis for developers. Here’s his first piece, on LA’s homeless problem
5. At the Market Urbanism Facebook Group
Elizabeth Lasky explains a dream she had last night about rent control being phased out nationally by 2030
Jon Coppage, now over at the R Street Institute, published a new report on Accessory Dwelling Units
Adam Cahnman wrote A terrible bill for Austin’s housing costs
Michael Hamilton wonders about the wisdom of DC Metro’s suburban expansion, given recent service cuts
Nga Pham on the latest Nimby shenanigans from Berkeley
Scott has an observation on Portland’s small retail centers
Marcos Paulo Schlickmann asks how localities can take back control of their transit systems
Mark Frazier calls for tax relief of HOAs
John Morris on the growing public backlash to state roads
Krishan Madan shares a Pacific Research Institute report that attacks parking regs
via Elizabeth Connor Celebration, FL may be destroyed in order to save it
via Mike Field How to get by-right zoning right
via Michael Pomes Undestanding gentrification and government’s response
6. Stephen Smith‘s tweet of the week:
Brand new 2BR/2BA units, almost walking distance of downtown Houston, asking just $2,025-2,175/mo. Supply is a helluva drug https://t.co/61vy46Mf11
— Market Urbanism (@MarketUrbanism) March 21, 2017
